The Steadfast Black-eyed Soldier
by Eugene Minev
Summary: Some sort of the re-telling of the 1976s cartoon "The Steadfast Tin Soldier", but with "Gorillaz" characters on the roles.


_"Once, there were twenty five tin soldiers. They all were the sons of the one mother - old tin spoon, - and this means, that they all were siblings. The soldiers were similar - from clothes and poses, to faces. Each other's face, by the way, was quite strange - the painter, probably, by mistake, painted their hair blue and drew their eyes like just black dots. Well, they were the same - like the twins. But the only one was different. He had only one leg. He was the last to be made, and there wasn't enough tin for him. But he stood on his only leg as steady, as his brothers on their two..."  
_ The room was dark, it was night. The soldiers got that it's time to get ready for night, so they rushed to their box. Except one-legged brother, who was tasked to stand on the guard this night. Every soldier was already in the box. The latter saluted his brother and lowered the lid.  
The Soldier saluted back and looked around. In the quiet and dark room he felt himself peacefully and tranquilly, but at the same time - lonely. The other items, that were lying on a table, can be seen in the twilight. A stack of books, some sheets of paper, inkwell, with a pen in it, little iron box for garbage, but the most outstanding - the cardboard castle. The construction, made of three cardboard towers, standing on one big cardboard sheet, and something matte, that looked like a frosen lake, was right in front of the porch.  
The Soldier jumped (it was the only way he can move, being one-legged, but he did it comepletely silent) to the iron box. The metal surface reflected him - tall, well-built, in the blue uniform with golden buttons, black epaulettes, red sleeve cuffs and the collar, with a high black hat with golden emblem on his head, and a bayonet in his hads... The handsome, in general, if only he has no his pale and silly face with black dot-like eyes, his blue and a bit disheveled hair... And, of course, only one leg. This details were ruining the perfect look. He just smiled silly to his reflection, turned around and walked a bit, and then turned back fast and sticked his tongue out, like he was teasing his reflection - sometimes, even soldiers can be childish.  
Soldier turned away from the box and began to jump back and forth on the table, looking around. At the same time, he was singing quietly. By the way, his voice was pretty good.  
 _Oh, how sad it is to stand the guard alone.  
Give and follow marching orders on my own.  
'Neath the moon, in midnight blue,  
Stamp my step upon the dew.  
One-two-one.  
One-two-one.  
It's so hard to get in step with all the rest.  
And yet no stars on my military chest.  
Little soldier, stand your ground,  
In the skies the stars are found.  
One-two-one.  
One-two-one_ _  
_The clock on the wall struck midnight. After this, the castle on the table like went alive all of a sudden. The light appeared in the windows, and the door opened. The Soldier stared, waiting to see what will happen.  
A thin silhouette appeared in the light of the doorway. When it came out of the castle, it was possible to see who it was. It was a paper ballerina - thin and graceful, in a white ballete dress, tied with a ribbon, which was pinned by a small shiny brooch. However, hands and face were yellowish, like it was often touched with not the cleanest hands, and face, though it was drawn skillfully, resembled Asian, because the eyes were drawn too narrow.  
When she came out, she gently stepped down the stairs to the "frosen lake" and began to dance. Such a grace and accuracy could be envied by all ballerinas in the world, and if you only look at this peaceful face with closed eyes and soft smile, it will be impossible to take the eyes off.  
The Soldier felt it on himself. He didn't know anything about the ballet, but he was looking on her inseparably.  
At one moment, the Ballerina opened her eyes and saw the Soldier, then she stopped dancing. Her eyes, expressing the mild confusion, met with the eyes of the Soldier, who just wake up from the charming... At this moment, their hearts was pierced by something unexplainable. They felt it at the same time, and understood it by just looking at each other. They both realised, that since this moment, their life wouldn't be full without each other. Each one stretched his own hands to the other...  
Suddenly, the Ballerina shuddered and started looking around in fear, like she heard something. The Soldier looked around too, but didn't see anything. The Ballerina ran to him, gave a quick hug, and ran away, right to the castle. When the Soldier looked around again, he finally noticed something.  
The strange black box, probably, a snuffbox, was flying right to the castle from the other end of the table. It stopped near the castle's porch, layed on the side, and opened. It was empty inside, but suddenly, the silhouette of the unknown person appeared inside and came out of the box. It was a man with greenish tone of skin, not very long black hair, different eyes - his right eye was black, and the left was red, - and nose, which had an unusual shape, as if it was broken many times. He was dressed in a formal suit, but from all of the set of his clothes, only the jacket looked neat. The shirt was sticking out of the pants and was terribly wrinkled, the pants were a bit short to him, and the shoes looked like they hadn't been cleaned for a long time. Even the cane and the shapeless likeness of the hat didn't make him look better. The Stranger, while leaning on the edge of the box, looked around and said to nobody:  
\- If you don't fill your old snuffbox  
With tobacco and what not.  
Well, it's likely, that this snuffbox  
Will get something, - God knows what!  
All this devilry occures  
For a reason, out of place.  
And this devilry prefers  
To appear in empty space.  
When he said "God knows what", he smirked meanly, pointing his cane at himself. His voice, by the way, was nasal and hoarse. When he finished speaking, he clapped his hands, and the box dissapeared. He approached the castle's door.  
Soldier was looking on this things perplexed. Who is this guy? And what does he want?  
Meanwhile, the Stranger was staying in front of the door with a daring look. Suddenly, the Ballerina appeared from the doorway, like by his signal, but she was looking down, obviously, not wanting to see him. The Stranger was looking at her and smirking, showing off his pointed teeth. His eyes reflected a silent words - "Come with me, my dear", - but the Ballerina turned her face off, like she said "never". At this moment, it seemed that the Stranger had enough. His face contorted, reflecting his anger, and he raised his cane above her.  
The Soldier realized, that this won't end up good, and he have to stop this unknown man from hurting his lovely Ballerina. In two jumps, he reached the place between her and the Stranger, and held his bayonet in defense. The Stranger lowered his cane, looked on the Soldier with interest, and then jumped away to the "lake", grinning. After he slid a bit through the "lake", he said:  
\- If you rushed to unknown, whose defense  
For you quickly averts all offence.  
Then you'll soon have a little to pay.  
With no reason, you'll shed tears away.  
With this words, the Stranger dissapeared. Soldier began to look around in search for him. He wanted to teach this villain a lesson. The movement by the window caught his attention. Things that was lying on the floor was flying up, one after another, folding something that looked like a ladder to the windowsill. The Soldier went down the table leg like the pole and reached the "ladder". The windowsill were closer and closer with each jump. Finally, the Soldier stood on the windowsill. In the same moment, there was a deafening thunder - things, that were forming the ladder, fell down, cutting his way to go back. The Stranger suddenly appeared out of nowhere, not far from the Soldier, holding his cane like a sword. But, when the Stranger was close, like it was only jump to reach him, he dissapeared. The Soldier, having no chance to slow down, fell down to the street.

The Soldier's head stuck between the stones of a pavement, but he was alive. By resting his foot on the ground, he was able to free himself. The street was empty. The Soldier looked up, thinking, how will he go back. He was also worried about the Ballerina, because now, when he's not around, the Stranger can do anything with her.  
His thoughts were interrupted by the growing noise. When he awoke and looked aroung, he saw, that it was raining heavily, and the road was already covered in streams. One of them picked him up, rotated him several times, and got him right into a paper boat, which was floating nearby.  
The flow carried the boat under the bridge. Despite the storm, the Soldier stood firmly. His thoughts were only about her - the beautifil little dacer... Without even noticed, he began to sing softly.  
 _Why is the fate so cruel, explain me,  
Only to those, who hold it true?  
Oh, we won't meet with you again.  
_ _Oh, without you, I'm longing for you...  
_ His voice got lost in the sound of the water.  
The boat sailed further and further under the bridge. On the ledge of the bridge "leg", the Soldier saw a large brown rat. It's white eyes reflected anger and concern, and the stick with sharp metal attachment, that it carried under the tied peace of green fabric, was only complementing the look of threat. As soon as the rat saw the boat and the soldier, it took out its "weapon" and shouted:  
\- Stop! Stop! Show your pass!  
The Soldier didn't know what kind of pass the rat's demanding, so he only raised his bayonet, ready to defend. As soon as he floated closer, the rat started to wave his stick, trying to get the Soldier. In the same time, he shouted again:  
\- I won't let you by! Won't let you by! You don't have a pass! You will be out!  
At one moment, the stick attachment cut the boat. The water seeped inside, and the boat quickly dissolved, like any other paper does in the water. The Soldier began to sink,  
As he was made from tin, he didn't choked. But the idea that he will never get out of here made him sad. He may never see his love again... This thought made his tin heart contracts. He closed his dot-like eyes and didn't noticed that he began to sing once again - like he always did this when he had deep emotions.  
 _My last living hour is almost trough,  
But only you in my dreams I recall.  
With you I wil fly to the skies, big and blue.  
Without you, in deep and dark down I fall.  
_He was seeing her even with closed eyes. Absorbed by sad thoughts, he didn't noticed that there's a big fish with opened mouth and pointed teeth was approaching. As it reached the Soldier, it closed the jaw and swallowed him. Inside, the Soldier just shut his eyes harder, prepared for anything.  
He lost the count of time he spent inside the fish. Suddenly, the fish shivered like it was struck by a lightning, and then subsided. Then there was only a little shaking, like someone was carrying the fish. In the end, the fish was put. The tiny hole appeared on its body, and the Soldier saw that he was in the kitchen, and the housekeeper was looking at him, clearly surprised. He took the Soldier out carefully, carried him to another room, and put on the shelf over the fireplace. The Soldier looked around... And his joy was as big as it can be. He was in his own home. The cardboard castle was in the same place, and its mistress stood in front of the door on one leg, with outstretched arms, and she was looking somewhere into the void. The Stranger was there too. He stood before the Ballerina on one knee. But his gaze was no longer so confident and angry. He was looking on the Ballerina with an expression of sadness and little fright. He was twitching a chain with a small black heart on the end.  
The Soldier realized that his beloved Ballerina was waiting only for him, so he decided to attract her. He jumped to the edge of the shelf and began to sing softly, but enough loud to be heard.  
 _So, I have come back in here,  
There is no death in the world.  
Yes, my darling, yes.  
No, my sweetheart, no...  
_The Ballerina turned to the voice, and her face lit up with happiness. She raised her hands to him. The Stranger noticed him too, and squeezed the chain in his fist, and his face distorted in anger. The Soldier, meanwhile, continued:  
 _Since the fate reunited us,  
Your answer I'd like to know.  
Yes, my dear, yes.  
No, my beloved, no...  
_The Soldier looked at the Ballerina. She was waving her hands, calling him. He jumped closer to the end of the shelf and began to carefuly descend down the bas-relief patterned wall of the fireplace.  
The Stranger appeared below from the fire. His face expressed deep hatred. He spinned his chain and threw it. Like an arrow, it stroke the protruding piece of the bas-relief, which immediately went crack.  
The Soldier didn't noticed it, and as soon as he stood on this very piece, it broke. The Soldier fell down, right into the fire.  
The Ballerina looked at all this in horror. Her beloved, dear Soldier, is about to die, melted in the fire. She wanted to jump there, but she heard his voice. There, in the fire, he was singing:  
 _My eyes were burned by the glimmering star,  
It fell down, left trail below.  
No, little moth, please, save your wings,  
Don't follow the light that glows...  
_The Ballerina hid her face in the hands. She won't bear it, if he'll die, she wanted to go and share his fate. But he didn't. He wanted her to live.  
 _Yes, my honey, yes...  
_ The Ballerina took her hands off her face, which was resolute. She waved back... And dashed forward, jumping. She flew in the fire, to him.  
 _No, my love, no.  
_ She fell in front of him, and they hugged each other. The Soldier already melted, and tin, flowing on his face, resembled tears. The paper body of the Ballerina was already covered in flames. In the end, they both gone.  
The Stranger, who saw all this, fell to his knees, grabbed his head and bent. His body started to cringe, turning inro a shapeless ashes, and then, he was gone. He just couldn't stand it. That the true love is as strong, no, stronger, than the death itself.  
 _"The next day, when the housekeeper was raking the ashes out, he found a small lump of tin, shaped like a heart. From the Ballerina there was only the brooch left. But it was no longer shiny... But black as cole"._


End file.
